Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluations

The United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) published ‘Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluation: Towards UNEG Guidance’ in 2011 as a concise handbook that could act as a field guide to improve human rights and gender equality responsive evaluation in the UN system. However, a more in-depth companion guidance document was always envisioned, one that provided more details, explanations and examples than a document intended as a quick reference. Since its publication, the ‘handbook’ has become a key reference for evaluators within the United Nations, as well as externally. It has been formally included as a benchmark against which to measure performance for the Evaluation Indicator of the UN System-Wide Action Plan in 2012. A number of other noteworthy changes in the United Nations landscape for evaluation, human rights and gender equality make additional guidance in this area relevant, including the recent General Assembly Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review resolution 67/226 (2012) and the United Nations Development Group Human Rights Mechanism.